My Manifesto: The Incoherent Ramblings of a Madman

I'm reading this book on the history of Islam and Christendom at the moment. Titled: "What Went Wrong?" By Bernard Lewis. It starts loosely in the beginning of the holy wars.

The biggest problem between the Muslims and Christians was that for so long the Muslims led the world and the infidels were nothing short of barbarians. This became problematic. With a feeling that there was nothing to be gained from proper lines of communication with the infidels, the Muslims lost touch with reality and the infidels caught up both technologically and culturally.

It took losses in battles for the Muslims to realise that the infidels were more technologically advanced, at least in warfare, if in nothing else. They slowly learnt to mimic the infidels in weapons and training methods.

However, mimicking another way of doing something which was better than theirs at the time was not a solution to the problem. Copying another puts you one step behind them at every turn. They never got to the point where they asked: "Why are they always a step ahead of us?"; instead they would oft ask: "How quickly can we learn their ways?".

The infidels would destroy entire races who would not accept Christendom. In contrast to this, the Muslims were tolerant of other religions practiced within their vast empire. Every battle won by the infidels would be ruthless and bloody. With advanced weaponry - in the end none in their path were safe as the Christian war machine marched on.

The problem with converting the Muslims to Christendom was this: Christianity was an earlier, tainted version of faith of which Islam was the final product. Many Muslims in captured territories refused to denounce their faith and were eradicated because of this. This religious distinction was, in part, a contributor to why the Muslims were wary in attempting to learn anything from the infidels. The infidels in contrast had set up universities which would study Muslim cultures and languages. The infidels also set up embassies within the Muslim empire.

Now my question is: "If we were learning from the Muslims back then, why are we not still trying to learn from them now?" "if we were listening to them then? - why not now?"; it makes sense to study and understand your 'enemy', if for no other reason than you find their strengths and weaknesses.

It is sad that in this day and age we still look at things so black and white. The "west is best" attitude should be beyond us. Modern medicine is looking more and more towards old fashioned remedies. Converting people to your way of thinking is counterproductive to giving us other ways of thinking, other ways of doing things, other ways of living.